hyperactive youngster

[AmirAndSimba]

Hello everyone
So about three months ago I rescued a street kitten. He is your regular East European Street tabby, quite athletic, pretty advanced for his age , and bursting with energy, literally. He is now roughly 5 months, 3 kg, he has not been castrated yet, since I had to get his ringworm completely healed first, that's all good now. I have a feeling he could be chasing something all day long, at first I followed the advice of 20 min of playtime i the morning and 20 minutes in the evening, but that's not nearly enough for him. Now we do around 30 min in the morning, about 30 during lunch hour( possible due to quarantine), and maybe 45 min before I go to bed. Still he never seems to get exhausted, even though I am. And after all that he still has the energy to run around the house, and hunt for my feet ,wrists, and phone. He is not afraid of me or aggressive ,he just loves to hunt, and doesn't really understand how strong his bite is.

Now I should be moving into a lot smaller apartment soon (probably a studio) and I need to find a way to spend days alone with him i the same room without it turning into a mayhem. And how to prevent him from sprinting out the front door the moment I open them. And eventually he will be staying in during the day, and have to entertain himself.

Will castration help calm him down a bit?
Also he doesn't react to catnip at all, I was wandering if I should try valerian root tincture, but couldn't find exact dosage anywhere.

He spent the first month with me in a hallway and bathroom, since I had to keep him from spreading ringworm spores around the house, could this be the reason he always wants to go somewhere and explore? He would always try to run past me back then, so maybe he sees it as a form of play now.

Let me know if you have any advice.

 

[LTS3]

Some cats just have no reaction to catnip. You could try a sprinkle of valerian root but some cats don't react to that either. Neither are essential to a happy cat anyways

Neutering should help the cat calm down a bit. Some cats just have a natural energetic personality and neutering doesn't help much. Playtime helps. I'd ignore the "20 minutes of playtime" suggestion. Playtime doesn't need a specific time limit. If your cat wants to keep playing, then keep playing until you get tired of it Some people find a second similar aged cat helps. Two cats can play with each other and that means less demand on you for playtime.

There's a TCS article on how to prevent cats from running out doors: How To Prevent Your Cat From Darting Out The Door – TheCatSite Articles

 

[danteshuman]

Hyperactive pretty much describes all juvenile cats until they hit 1-3 years old. That said some cats are more hyper than others ...... like my beloved Bud Dante (who was also called punk & a “wee terrorist of doom” when he was a kitten!) He taught me that you have to tire out the mind to tire out the body.

So what worked on my punk Dante? 1) outside time was a life saver (bird food feeders & a water fountain help attract prey for them to lion at. 2) routine 3) play 3-5 times a day. Really get to the play & try to get your cat to climb up/down furniture and cat trees to help wear them out. 4) another cat that is also young , bold and similar in temperament.

Now I have Jackie, who thanks to Dante teaching me how to deal with a hyper cat, he is only a twerp or diet punk! On days he can’t get his 2 hours of outside time, I entertain him with interactive toys ( hexabug, a box, tissue paper, a self rolling ball, a flopping stuffed fish, catnip bubbles etc.) He might be getting some more expensive cat toys for Christmas.

 

[danteshuman]

Yes getting him neutered will help with his escape attempts however Dante was neutered at 4 months ...... he didn’t start go calm down until he was 7.5 years old!!! Jackie was neutered at 5 months and it didn’t help with his hyper-ness either.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

LOL, I hate to give you the bad news, but about 90% of your problem is "five months old." He's the equivalent of a six year old little boy...have you ever watched them? Two gears...passed out asleep and warp speed. Nothing in between. The good news is that time will cure most of this. And neutering will help some. And, believe it or not, you'll look back on this fondly and miss it (some days).

As for the door darting, this will help:

How To Prevent Your Cat From Darting Out The Door – TheCatSite Articles

Enjoy this time with him, as frustrating as it might be. In a few years, you'll be seeking advice on how to get him to be more active!

 

[AmirAndSimba]

Thank you all for your advice

 

[game misconduct]

youngster says it all but you really should begin teaching him to play gentle along with your hands are not toys a loud ouch when he bites to hard and the end of playtime(only for a short pause) will teach him that in time. you could try bowling with him . i do that with graycie using toy balls cat or dog ones long as they are small enough and some empty water bottles lined up like a bunch of bowling pins. just roll the balls for a strike and she chases the balls or decides to scatter the pins herself hunting down the ball she is crazy i use dog toys cause they last longer with her teeth and her chewing on em. she will even chase and kill stuffed toys thrown across my apartment or nab them out of midair had i the room i would teach her to play frissbee

 

[Mamanyt1953]

OH, re the OUCH! A good sharp hiss will work as well. I like to think that you get street cred for knowing the language! Either can work, try both, and go with the on your little hellion darling responds best to!

 

[AmirAndSimba]

I have tried hissing at him last nigh, he gets the message

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Excellent. They're born knowing what a hiss means.